Actors: DE NIRO

This is a more complex and darker film than its predecessor. Gordon Willis' contrasting cinematographic methods for the flashbacks and main story work incredibly, and the screenplay provides us with detailed, vivid characters who are acted to perfection. Although we are distanced emotionally from Michael Corleone in this film, Pacino's performance ensures that we are still fascinated with him. Although Pacino is undoubtedly the stand-out, there is an abundance of remarkable supporting performances here, particularly from John Cazale.

An unparalleled portrait of loneliness, Taxi Driver is also one of the finest character studies ever put to film. Martin Scorsese is the perfect director fpr this piece, because he soaks up the ugliness of the world that the main character (Travis Bickle) inhabits while also constructing a meticulous examination of the man himself. Here is a man who is incessantly exposed to pornography, crime, immorality and beautiful women who torment his insecure mind from a distance. The movie's narrative perspective is tilted in favor of Travis's psychological view, so we can see the sadness of his isolation while also being terrified by the tunnel-vision aggression of his descent. Few actors can wield threatening power while also drawing empathy from their audience. Robert De Niro is one of those actors, and his exploration of Travis Bickle is fully deserving of its spot as one of the iconic American performances. Here is "God's lonely man", a bitter and delusional man lost in the crowds seething through New York. His world is dark and murky, potently underlined by Bernard Herrmann's jazzy score and Michael Chapman's documentary-esque cinematography. The movie inevitably ends in violence, and Travis's killing spree is ferocious in execution. However, the performances and writing are so phenomenal that it is the build-up we remember first and foremost.

This deserves a top spot among the greatest films of all time. Martin Scorsese's direction is fiercely perfect, and the result is a film that is unique and crushingly powerful. Everything from the gorgeously composed photography to the seamless editing makes this a technical marvel, but it is the honest writing and performing that make it more than great. Robert De Niro is a one-man wrecking crew onscreen; he embodies this role with ferocity and passion, bringing about what is one of the greatest performances in cinema history. This is as good as movies get.

This is a huge, meticulously crafted story about a strong friendship that spawns murder, rape and robbery. It's Sergio Leone's most masterful film, directed with an almost ridiculous amount of precision and acted by one of the greatest casts I've ever seen. This is, without a doubt, among the greatest gangster epics of all time.

There are very few directors whose films consistently garner such contrasting responses as Bernardo Bertolucci. David Lynch comes to mind as being another, and Darren Aronofsky may work his way into the same category as his career progresses. I am one of Bertolucci's enthusiastic admirers. Novecento is a gargantuan labor of love whose 315 minute length brings about labels ranging from "self-indulgent" to "ingenious ambition". Regardless of its flaws, this is one of the most visually astonishing pieces of cinema available. Full of majestic camera movement and stunning wide-lens composition, it is a gorgeously painted piece of art. Throughout the course of its running time, the narrative clarity fades considerably, but it never fails to mesmerize. It is an exciting, operatic experience full of unforgettable set pieces and theatrical performances. This picture has brought about divided feedback for decades, and it probably always will, but I am on the side of its supporters. As Roger Ebert (who dislikes the movie) said in his review, this is something that film buffs should see.

A cold and detailed look at life in the Mafia, GoodFellas is defined by its witty screenplay, precise direction and convincing performances. Scorsese's direction crackles with fierce energy. There isn't a moment of GoodFellas that isn't oozing with excitement and undertones of violence. The story is disturbing and brutal, but there is somehow a sense of style and even fun underneath it all.

Al Pacino and Robert De Niro acting together under the direction of Michael Mann. Need I say more? This electrifying and brilliantly written crime epic is a contemporary classic, a moving film that breaks the boundaries of its genre. Michael Mann, like cinematic masters Scorsese and Coppola, seems to find poetic subtext in violence and crime.

This is one of the most intensely emotional films I have ever seen. The impeccably structured script, directed to its full potential by Cimino, brings us a great deal of character depth and unique plot development. Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken deliver two of the most astounding performances in film history, and the entire supporting cast is superb as well.

Martin Scorsese's first collaboration with Robert De Niro is also his first masterpiece. The subtle, original plot development of this film is brought on mostly by Scorsese's passionate direction. I love it.

These are familiar grounds for almost the entire cast and crew, and they make perfect use of their experience. Technically flawless and vividly memorable, this is one of the best gangster films I have ever seen.

This hard-hitting, truthful coming-of-age drama benefits from the stellar acting abilities of both De Niro and DiCaprio. The two actors feed off each other's energy, and the result is a highly interesting movie drawn from a simple but deeply moving script. Both actors have such textured, complex performance that the acting becomes the main point of the film instead of the story. DiCaprio plays a confused, angry young man who can't pull himself away from a compulsion to break the rules and De Niro plays a schoolyard bully who never grew up. The film is so painful and harsh and gripping that I can't deny its merit as a solid drama. I love it to pieces.

An intelligent, unnerving social commentary disguised as a comedy. Scorsese's energetic direction, a great screenplay and a hilarious performance by De Niro drive this film. Very entertaining and well-made.

I've read a lot of reviews that complain about this film's "glacial pace", but if I may be so bold, I think a lot of people are misplacing their criticism. If anything, the film moves forward a little too quickly and sheds some crucial character insight in the process. However, I was pleased with the movie's tonal approach of distance, and the atmosphere of quiet sadness it established. This is a withdrawn piece that speaks very little at times and expects a lot from the audience. The direction, writing and performances all serve towards its languid essence and the result is a respectably executed movie that falls short of the greatness it could have achieved. Robert De Niro's lead performance is exciting to watch - a sketch of a character with a lot of texture that we never quite get a grasp of. His brief moments with Jack Nicholson make this film worth a watch alone. Watching those two screen legends feed off each other made me a happy viewer. This isn't a film I would recommend to many people, but I enjoyed it extensively and I presume it's something I'll revisit at least once.

Barry Levinson has crafted a disturbing, compelling and near-perfect film with Sleepers. This is a film that demonstrates genuinely great ensemble acting and meticulous storytelling pace. A poignant and highly recommended crime-drama.

Pure Scorsese-style direction from start to finish. New York, New York is a sprawled-out, unevenly paced masterpiece. It is more about the presentation of the content than the content itself in this swingin', jazzy flick with fantastic music and fantastic performances.

A drama fueled entirely by characterization - De Niro and Williams both turn in terrific performances and the story will make your heart melt. Moving and powerful.

Wickedly sharp political satire with fantastic performances by Hoffman and De Niro. Witty, hilarious and very entertaining.

Hilarious movie - a rarity in recent comedies that doesn't extract laughs from constant raunchiness and stupidity. Intelligent and very well-written. Never loses its appeal.

A very funny buddy comedy defined by hilarious performances and a great premise. Sheer fun from start to finish.

This is such a sweet, charming, romantic film and I enjoyed it greatly. Ethan Hawke is superb in the lead, and everyone around him is very good too. Cuaron's direction, although iffy at times, is solid overall and provides the film with a sleek modern feel.

This is a slight misfire for Scorsese, but it's still quite entertaining. Shot with signature style and very well-acted, it suffers mostly from a weakly written third act. De Niro, while insanely over-the-top in this role, is still compelling to watch.

There are some awkward, misguided jabs at humor in this film that are rather detrimental to its most crucial aspect, which is its tone. That being said, it's a tightly crafted movie as far as editing and cinematography are concerned and the performances are vibrant enough to keep the audience engaged. Mickey Rourke is a terrific leading man and Robert De Niro stretches his range once again in an eerie role that he fills with ease and power. And the script is solid too, amplified by a brilliant ending and full of bright ideas that don't pan out ideally. Alan Parker makes some mistakes, but nothing big enough to detract from its overall entertainment value.

Terry Gilliam's imaginative vision is something that deserves acknowledgment and respect, but this picture isn't structured well enough to call it great. At a length of 140 minutes, it feels like it's three hours long and explodes into chaos near the finale. That being said, it is astonishing to look at and very smartly written, boasting witty comedy and impressive acting.

A sweet, compassionate picture that ultimately comes out mediocre. Failing to find a nice balance between comedy and tragedy, the movie meanders along without leaving a lasting impression. That being said, it's fairly entertaining and Robert De Niro is outstanding.

This film's flawed writing has some skewed logistics and minor awkwardness, but for the most part it provides two talented performers some great material to work with. Acting against naturally expected stereotypes, Murray and (especially) De Niro turn in fantastic character portraits. Clumsy direction and an uninspired performance from the beautiful Uma Thurman don't detract from the entertainment factor of this movie. I really enjoyed it.

Amateurish direction and shabby art direction are the drawbacks in this surprisingly mediocre drama. Robert De Niro is excellent, of course, but overall the film falters.

One of the main issues I have with this movie is that I can't possibly think of who Schumacher was trying to speak to with his script. It's not completely effective as a comedy or a drama, but it still has solid moments as a picture classified as either genre. De Niro and Hoffman, brilliant as usual, allowed me to take the movie for what it is and enjoy it. Both men provide performances that stretch their physical and emotional limits, making it an interesting view for anyone who enjoys some high quality acting.

An absolutely amazing cast is unable to bring this movie to greatness. Very good - often touching and moving, but the screenplay has a rough journey transitioning from the play. The movie doesn't suffer an enormous amount as a result, but it doesn't accomplish anything spectacular. The acting is phenomenal, the story is interesting... but the script just can't hold it together.

The objectives of this peculiar film are clouded by its microscopic budget, and as a result it drags even at the short length of 88 minutes. The dialogue exchanged between the talented young actors is its only real appeal.

De Palma fulfills his vision fantastically, but the vision itself is cartoonish in simplicity and frustratingly lacking in depth. Costner is downright horrible in the lead performance. In fact, if it weren't for Connery and De Niro, this film would be a complete flop. This is one of the most overrated films of all time, as far as I'm concerned.

The premise is interesting enough, but the way the film plays out is too saccharine and manipulative to allow the audience to contribute anything. De Niro is an extremely talented actor, and it's a pleasure to see him work in any case, but he's so much better than this material.

I had very high expectations of this film, and they were let down. The biggest problems here are in Eric Roth's scattered, cliche-riddled writing, but De Niro's direction is weak as well. Many of the directorial choices made here are unwise and destructive, and as a result the gorgeous visual style is wasted. The performances are also disappointingly mediocre. Matt Damon is the strongest of the bunch, and his portrayal is nothing more than solid. I wanted this to be one of the best films of the year, but it simply wasn't.

They don't get much cheesier than this. Inauthentic and unoriginal, its only attraction is in Cuba Gooding Jr.'s and Robert De Niro's performances.

Pacino and De Niro are incapable of delivering bad performances, regardless of the script they're given. And this script is definitely a stinker. Godawful writing, weak acting from 90% of the cast and exceedingly stupid direction cement this into B-movie territory. It's silly fun for fans of the lead actors.

Godawful. How can somebody make a movie with Robert De Niro in it this poorly? Ludicrous screenplay and flimsy direction. One of the worst of 2004.